


Don't you know its true, that i'd do it all to prove my love to you

by Watkinsatwembley



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Late Season 2, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-13 18:50:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13576776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Watkinsatwembley/pseuds/Watkinsatwembley
Summary: After a serious accident puts Jake out of action, Amy steps up to take care of him. Not just because of the guilt that is ultimately consuming her over the situation, and definitely because of her growing feelings for her partner. Nope, not at all.





	1. What Happened?

"This is going to be such an incredible bust! I cannot wait to get this dirtbag in these cuffs" Jake whispered excitedly to Amy, twirling his handcuffs round his finger. They had been chasing a serial killer by the name of Killian Long for over a month, who has been targeting young blonde girls, waiting until the dead of night to make his strike, successfully killing 5 of these girls in the month long span.

"Excited shouldn't be the feeling Jake, this is a highly dangerous situation, you need your game face on and ready for this" Amy said sternly, usually she was a lot more lenient with Jake's reactions and quips, but they had been chasing this guy for ages and the late night call outs to crime scenes has seriously affected her sleep schedule.

"Ahh get your undies out of your buns, in a few minutes this guy will be cuffed up and locked away for good, im allowed to be a little excited" Jake quipped. Amyh just rolled her eyes and checked her magazine to make sure it was loaded and ready to go just in case.

"Okay team, i'll take point and start the sweep, Amy will follow just behind and then we rush, got it?" Jake ordered, switching into professional mode, which Amy was more than happy with. While Jake can be a massive goofball and a slack on paperwork, when the chips are down and a job needs to get done, he will deliver, which Amy definitely admires about him.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take point? I've recovered from the last time it happened and I really want to make up for it" Amy asks, last time she took point she got blindsided by the man they were looking for, thinking only one person came to arrest him, only for Jake to follow in and promptly remove him from Amy and slamming him against the wall in cuffs.

"Nah it's all good, besides this was my case, it's only fair that I go in first for the arrest" Jake grins, knowing he had won the arguement. "Okay, just don't do anything stupid on entry, and check every angle" Amy says, worry slightly creeping into her voice, hoping Jake didn't hear the change of tone. She shouldn't be worried, everything will be just fine, he's Jake Peralta, but she could't shake this feeling of something going horribly, horribly wrong in this bust. She sees Jake gear up to kick the door down and rush in, that was when she heard the blast.

 

Amy gets thrown back by the impending blast, hitting the back wall and losing her composure. Two thoughts came to mind once she got her bearings back, what was that and where the hell was Jake?

Amy scrambles to her feet, gun drawn with other officers and rush the room without any hesitation, and they walk into utter chaos, debris everywhere, walls blasted straight through into other rooms, and a lot of smoke. Amy starts to cough and splutter at the thick smoke and ash that shes starting to inhale, but keeps one thing on her mind, finding jake. "Jake!!" she starts yelling when she gets her voice back, silently praying she gets some kind of response, any response in hopes of finding him in this mess. 

"A-Amms" she hears faintly, from the other side of the room, she starts to tear away the debris that she can lift out the way to try and see him and hope that the damage isn't too serious. She finally finds him, bloodied, bruised and broken underneath some rubble. "Oh my god Jake, ar-are you okay? are you pinned down? here let me help", Amy starts to lift away the rubble pinning Jake's leg to the floor, hearing Jake's cry of pain, which pierces her core knowing that she is causing that pain. "Just stay awake Jake, Collins is calling for medics now, we're going to get you out and safe okay?" Amy says in what she hopes is a calming voice, because all she is feeling right now is blind panic, thinking about how this could have happened and how she should have fought to go in first so Jake wouldn't be in this position.

"Just promise me this Amy" Jake says weakly, Amy starts listening, waiting for him to get his words out. "Don't leave my side" Jake just about gets out before slipping out of consciousness.


	2. When the weight comes down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the accident and Amy is left reeling, thinking about her partner and the situation, how it all came about.

Sadness is not even close to describing how Amy feels right now. Completely devastated? No, not strong enough, broken? Not even close. The pain of waiting for paramedics to crawl their way to Jake almost consumes her, but she needs her strength, for both of them right now, seeing as her partner has now slipped into a comatose. Panic quickly spreads through her body and she reaches breaking point as the paramedics reach them. They eventually extract Jake from Amy’s grasp and she’s hot on their heels, praying for a spot in that ambulance because she cannot be apart from him now. “I’m sorry lady, family only” said the paramedic, clearly not understanding that this is her partner of over 5 years so he is definitely family. “No you listen to me” Amy snaps, “that man right there is not leaving my side after what has just happened to us, I need to be there with him, I need to know he’s okay!” Amy starts pleading rather than shouting, tears threatening to spill at any moment. The young paramedic sighs deeply and lets her in quickly, the ambulance speeding off, barely giving Amy enough time to sit down. Amy immediately seeks out Jake’s hand and hangs onto dear life, not only to give him some support, but her as well. Her grip tightens out of the fear that if she lets go, he will slip away, and god forbid Amy let that happen.

20 long, painful minutes later, they arrive at the hospital, and Amy knows not to argue about going into the operating theatre with him. Being alone gives Amy time to reflect on everything that went on. She was right behind him, too distracted by his little remark before he barged in, just a split second of distraction and now he is going through all this pain all alone, she should have been right there with him, sharing this pain, now all she has is her mind replaying the accident on loop.

Amy’s phone rings in her back pocket, she blanches, she didn’t ring the squad. Slowly she extracts the phone to see Charles’ face stare back at her from the screen, tentatively she answers and mutters “Hello”.

“Amy! Where have you been?! I’ve seen the news, an explosion?! Which hospital are you at? And how are you answering your phone? Weren’t you at the scene?”

“I-I was…. But I wasn’t- I’m fine……it’s-it’s” she can barely get her words out, but she thinks Charles understands when her phone goes silent, no doubt track my where she is to get there with the squad. She finally lets the flood of tears that have threatened to fall since the ambulance ride break the barrier, and she slides down the wall know that the man she loves is fighting for his life just past the doors she resides outside of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kind responses to this story, I have decided to continue the project to see where it goes!


	3. Darkest Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy is found by the rest of the squad, and they need blanks filled in, and Amy’s secrecy is revealed.

She honestly doesn’t know how long she has been sat on the cold tiled floor of the hospital for, but she hasn’t got the time to think about that as she’s startled by a hand on her shoulder. She slowly lifts her head from between her knees and looks up to see Charles, with a mixed look of pity and worry. 

“Amy? How long have you been here for?” Charles asks, voice cracking with worry. “I-I’m not sure, maybe 15 min-minutes?” She stutters out, tears still spilling out of her eyes.   
“Where’s the squad? They should be here, all of them!” She bursts out with, anger bubbling within her that they’re not here with Jake fighting for his life.  
“Relax Amy, they are here, Rosa and Holt are at the front desk trying to demand answers and I left to come and find you” Charles finally answers, keeping his voice down as to not disturb any other patients. Amy is about to respond when Captain Holt and Rosa fly down the corridor and find them in the crouched position outside the theatre door.

“Santia—Amy” The Captain corrects himself, “What is going on? What happened to you too?” Holt calmly asks her, the usually monotone voice cracking slightly in a rare display of emotion from the captain.   
Amy, with all the courage she can muster, starts to retell the tale to all 3 of her co-workers about the bust, the entry, and the explosion that caused them to be in this position. “It was my fault captain” Amy cries, sounding much younger than her years, “if I hadn’t have gotten distracted….”.

“Amy you cannot blame yourself for this, if you had gone in as well both of you would be in this situation and it could have been a hell of a lot worse” Captain Holt says, shutting down her argument.

“But-but…”

“But nothing, Santiago, the only person we can blame here is is the man that set that trigger in the first place, I do not want to hear you blaming yourself for this mess because that simply is not the case” Holt replies. Noticing the tears springing up and the utter devastation in his young detectives eyes, he brings her in to hold her, and keeps holding on until she is all cried out. 

Rosa crouches down to their level and places her hand on Amy’s shoulder, not needing to say anything, because Amy knows how much this actually means.

Holt helps Amy up and brings her into the main waiting area, and Rosa offers to take her to the bathroom to get her cleaned up. Once in, Amy realises for the first time since she came in that Rosa also looks on the verge of crying. Amy should slap herself, in between thinking about Jake and how much this has affected her, she didn’t even think about how Rosa must feel finding out about one of her closest friends being in near direct contact to an explosion.

“Oh my gosh Rosa are you-“ Amy starts, but Rosa lifts a hand to signal her to stop. “I’m fine, it’s just quite a lot to take in” she replies. Amy doesn’t fully believe her, but goes along with it. Amy starts to wash her face of the dirt and grime that came with trying to dig Jake out of the rubble that fell around him in that building. “You love him don’t you” Rosa asks, bluntly. “Huh what?” Amy replies, stunned by the question posed to her. “You love Jake, am I right?” She asks again.  
“I care for him, yes but-“

“It’s more than caring Santiago, the way you reacted, we heard you on the phone, you sounded frightened, not even in a my partner got shot and we need backup scared, but scared like a wife finding their partner unconscious scared” Rosa squares up now in front of Amy, hovering over her and waiting for an answer. 

I-I…..yes, okay, I do, I love him” Amy relents, letting the truth spill out like a waterfall of words.

“Wow, didn’t expect that” Rosa admits “Thought I’d have had to pry that out of you for the next 20 minutes”.

“Yeah well situations like these have me on edge really, what’s the point in denying anymore?” Amy admits, looking down at her shoes. “God, I just hope he pulls through this” Amy says quietly.

“Hey now” Rosa says, raising her voice, “don’t just say I hope, you know he’s going to get through this, he’s one of the toughest sons of bitches we know, he will pull through, you know it, I know it, we all know it” Rosa is almost shouting at this point, Amy thinks it’s just her way of getting through this.

“Okay okay I get it, he will be fine” Amy says finally. “We should get back out there, see if there’s been an update” 

“Sounds like a plan” Rosa replies, leading the way back out to the waiting room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay in between chapters, working full time really takes the time away from you. Yet again thanks for all the responses and words about this story. I’ll be posting this on my tumblr as well, which is the same username on here.
> 
> Thanks so much :)


	4. Waiting for the Thunder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is passing much too slowly for Amy’s liking, she needs to know what’s going on, and when she does, she doesn’t like it....

The hours had ticked by since Amy and Rosa left the bathroom, and still no sign of any news about Jake. Amy seemed to look at the clock every 5 minutes just to pass the time, trying not to think about what has happened, but rather about the confession she made to Rosa.

She loves Jake, she has said it to another human, not just in the mirror or in her dreams, it’s now out in the open, and she could not care less. She wants him to—scratch that, NEEDS him to know how she feels. The thought of losing him without her saying how she truly feels breaks her heart a thousand times over. It makes her feel a little better with her feelings revealed to someone else, but it makes her think about Jake, and how he is still fighting for his life, and the thought crushes her spirit once again.

She couldn’t wait any longer and quickly stood and approached the nurses’ station. “Excuse me..” Amy started, her voice barely above a whisper, “Do you have any information on Jake Peralta?” Amy can feel her voice break near the end of the sentence.   
“Still in surgery theatre” the nurse curtly replies, not even looking up from her computer. “Oh...um, do you think you can check again? I’m not sure if you actually looked it up” Amy called her out, getting frustrated with the tone the nurse used. “Look Miss, i’ve not got-“ “Nuh uh, you listen to hats my partner and I REALLY need to know what’s happening with him!” Amy is now practically yelling at this nurse for not seeming to care at ALL for her partners wellbeing. “Woah okay Amy calm down..” Rosa starts, only to be interrupted by a doctor Amy recognises, Jake’s doctor. 

“Family of Jake Peralta?” He calls out ove the hustle and bustle. Holt is the first to notice “That is us, what’s the news Doctor...” “Abadi, I have the update on Mr Peralta...” Amy held her breath as he slowly took his glasses off and wiped his brow. “He’s in a bad way, and has suffered a lot of damage.....but he’s alive. He will pull through” the doctor finally finished. Amy collapsed with delight in Captain Holt, and the rest of the squad celebrate with each other. “Can-can we see him?” Amy asks Dr Abadi quietly. “One at a time, but I should warn you, he will still be out for a few hours”. “That’s fine, Amy, you go first” Rosa pipes up. Amy flashes her a watery smile and she follows the doctor towards Jake.

“Here’s the room, I’ll give you two some space” the doctor tells Amy. She thanks him and silently enters the room, only to be met by the shell of a man known as Jake Peralta.

He looked..... pale, broken, and a face like a stone. She is not used to this side of her partner, obviously she has seen him serious, like when they have a case, but he would still crack a smile and a joke to lighten the mood, his face was completely still, no smile, just complete silence. It was unnerving really, to see the usually overexcited, overly energetic man child just, laying there, motionless, cuts all over his face and arms, she can’t imagine what more damage is under the gown he’s wearing, she’ll have to ask the doctor later. All she can do right now is pull a chair right up to his bedside, take his hand and wait for him to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must apologise profusely for the super late update, working full time leaves me with little downtime and coming up with idea for this story has been hard, but here I am again, hopefully with more updates next week as well.
> 
> Thanks for the support
> 
> T


	5. Love is on the Radio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She feels a weak grasp and wakes with a start, the dream feeling almost real, the squeeze feeling almost real.

She feels a crick in her neck the next time she wakes up, no longer sure how long she had been in his room, but still with a firm grip on his hand. She looked up from her spot in his room to find a small radio on the bedside table, thinking that a nurse must have come by and left it in their room. She had read somewhere not too long ago that sounds can help patients in coma's. Amy reaches out, still gripping onto Jake's hand, to switch the radio, and lets the soft melodies fill the eerie silence of the hospital room, letting herself escape and drift back to sleep in her chair.

She is transported to a sea of green, grass, softly brushing at her ankles. Amy looks down and finds herself in a pretty floral dress, splashed in a colour of red and white, taking in the scene in front of her, a little village, bathed in sunlight and blue skies. She feels a breeze roll through her and takes a deep breath in, smelling the scent of the ocean in the air waves. Suddenly beside her, she feels a grasp of her hand, looking to her right, finding Jake, beaming down at her, dressed in blue plaid and a bright smile. "Amy.." he starts, trailing off. "What is it Jake?" Amy replies, finding her voice and looking up at him with big eyes. "Amy..." he repeats, much quieter, weaker almost. "Amy....Amy....Am-". She feels a weak grasp and wakes with a start, the dream feeling almost real, the squeeze feeling almost real. She looks to her hand, and stares a hole in Jake's hand, and she sees it, his fingers flexing, grasping at hers. Amy looks up to see Jake's eyes weakly opening, his brown orbs exposed to the light for the first time in what feels like weeks. "Jake... oh my god Jake!" Amy says, picking up volume, starting to pray this isn't another dream of hers, that this is real. "A-Ames..." he says, voice jagged and raw from a week of silence. Amy stands up, trying to get as close to Jake as she can "I'm here Jake, oh my god, this is real, you're awake, what do you need?" Amy says, voice in a slight panic. 

At this point, the nurses burst in and usher Amy out, wanting to start tests on Jake. “No, no I can’t leave now, please, Jake!” Amy pleads, nurses backing her to the door and out the room. “Amy…” Jake weakly calls out, wanting her back with him. “I’ll be back Jake, I promise” Amy calls out, before the door slams in her face.

 

The walk back to the waiting room seems like an eternity, and by the time she gets there, she finally slides down the wall and breaks down, he’s awake, he’s alive, and that’s what matters. “hey, any news?” Amy hears a female voice, Rosa. “yeah…. he is awake, doing tests on him now” Amy replies through tears. Rosa bends down to her height and puts an arm around her shoulder. “I told you he would be fine” she says, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. 

 

A few hours later, seated in a much more comfortable chair in the waiting room, Amy spots Dr Abadi come down the hall from Jake’s room. She stands to attention and waits for him. “Hello Ms. Santiago, I presume you are waiting for news on Mr. Peralta?” he says, “Yes, is it good?” Amy replies, biting her nails furiously. “It was close, and he is in a lot of pain, but yes, he is awake and stable”. Amy collapses in relief, and a wide smile breaks onto her face for the first time in a week. “Can I see him?” Amy asks timidly, “Of course, follow me” Dr. Abadi replies, leading Amy down the long hallway. “Here it is, he’s asleep, but please stay as long as you like” he says, with a smile as he turns away. Amy faces the door, and quietly, turns the knob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late update, a mix of business and writers block, but I think I have found my groove, thanks for all the kind words in the comments.


	6. Unbroken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy finally gets to see Jake, but shes not prepared to see what she does, Jake needs a place to stay after he is released.

She wasn't really sure what to expect when she entered that room, she had become so used to his goofy smile, the aura that radiated happiness no matter the situation, but what she sees is a shell of the man that practically is the 99. He has cuts up and down his arms, all along his face and a busted lip. She eventually lifts her gaze to his eyes, which is when she is met by brown orbs staring into hers.

 

"Oh Jake..." Amy starts, sinking herself into the chair next to his bed, pulling the chair forward to close the gap even further. 

 

"Hey Ames, how are ya?" Jake starts, weakly, throat parched from not drinking. Amy shakes her head smiling slightly, "You almost died, and you ask me how I am?" Jake just shrugs his shoulders, wincing at the action.

 

Amy continues "Well since you asked.... I'm much better knowing you're alive and awake, its a very good sign" "Aww you really care about me don't you?" Jake jokes,  _ If only you knew how much, _ Amy thinks. “I do Jake, you’re my partner, it’s my job to care” Amy says, looking him dead in the eye, taking his hand in hers. “You really scared me in that apartment, walking in there and finding you, I really did think the worst” tears started welling up in Amy’s eyes. “Come on Ames, there’s no need to cry, i’m still alive aren’t I? Jake says, trying his best to stop the tears flowing, catching them with his finger.

 

It was at this moment that Dr. Abadi re-entered the room, Jake was expecting Amy to pull her hand away, but was pleasantly surprised when she squeezed his hand, gave him a soft smile and held on tighter. “Well Mr Peralta, I must say im surprised with what happened to you that you left the scene with minimal damage, a few broken bones, cuts and abrasions all over your body and no obvious damage to your brain, this was the best case scenario, i’m confident in letting you leave in the next couple of days, I would however recommend that you find someone to help you get home and stay with you for a couple of days”. 

 

Jake frowned at his, with his mom away for a few weeks, not wanting to see his dad and Gina being on holiday, his options were worryingly short. “I can take him in” Amy blurted out from his left, Jake’s eyes widened “No Amy you don’t have to do that for me…” “I want to Jake, this was kind of my fault and I need to make it right, i’ve got more than enough room at my apartment” “this wasnt you faul…” “Don’t say that” Amy interrupts, “Just......let me take care of you” she says quietly to him. “Okay Amy, i’ll stay at yours”. “Excellent, i’ll get the paperwork sorted!” Dr, Abadi exclaimed, pulling Jake and Amy out of the bubble they created.

 

“Are you sure about this Amy? I’m going to be quite a handful” Jake says, looking down at his lap. “It will be fine Jake, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re okay” Amy tells him truthfully, ending with a smile that makes him crack one back at him. Boy, she is falling for him hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hiatus, i've had some problems in my personal life that got in the way of writing, but ive finally gotten to a point where I can write again, enjoy!!


	7. I'll be OK

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Jake's brain, while trying to process everything that has gone on in the last couple of days. Starting with a flashback from the incident.

_*Flashback*_

_*Jake's POV*_

 

_Pain,_ it's all I really feel. 

One minute i'm happily chatting with Amy, the next i'm flung across the room, a flash of light striking across my face as my back slams into a support beam, watching rubble fall from the ceiling, pinning me to the floor. Discomfort across my midsection telling me what I already knew, broken ribs, that will be a bitch for a while. I feel warm liquid drip down the sides of my face, as it passes my lips I can tell. Blood, that's not good.

 

"Jake!" I hear through the ringing in my ears from the explosion. I can tell immediately from the panicked voice. Amy, sweet, beautiful Amy. "A-Amms" I call out weakly, hoping, praying i'm heard. I feel the rubble being torn apart, hissing quietly as it pulls away from my wounds. "Oh my god Jake" I hear Amy start, but the pain is too much, I think a nap would help.... "Just stay awake...." I feel the fog begin to thicken, but I need Amy to know... "Don't leave my side"......

I feel bumps, plenty of them. Shifting from side to side, and a warm weight in my left hand. A hand, hoping it was the one person I want. I feel the fog roll back over me and take me away again....

 

I feel like i'm floating on a cloud the next time consciousness comes to me, is this heaven? No, it can't be. Sounds start emanating from somewhere, beeps, and the shuffle of feet along linoleum floor. I try cracking my eyes open but a blinding light stops me in my tracks, I quickly survey my surroundings, a small hospital room, wires and tubes all around, cuts up and down my arms and my left leg wrapped in a cast. Turning to my left I see Amy curled up in an uncomfortable looking chair, her hand laying next to mine. I reach out towards it, the movement shakes Amy awake. "Ames..." cursing my hoarse voice, hoping she hears. "I'm here Jake, oh my god this is real you're awake, what do you need?" she says in a panic, but I hear the relief in her tone. I hear the door burst open and several nurses come to the bed side pulling Amy away from me, I want to call out, need to, but my voice hurts too much, dammit! "I'll be back Jake, I promise!" I catch her say, before the door is closed and the blind shut. I start struggling, wanting to get up and follow Amy out, but the nurses keep me down while starting their tests.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

The door opens again and my heart rate increases, wishing for it to be Amy, to have her this close again. It had seemed they were getting closer over the past couple of months, wanting to ask her out after this bust was finished, until the obvious happened. Looking back at the door I see a doctor, and my heart deflates. "Good afternoon Mr. Peralta, my name is Dr. Abadi, I'm sure you're wondering what exactly is wrong" he says, voice slightly nasally. "Where is Amy" Jake immediately asks "Miss Santiago is in the waiting room, along with your colleagues, I'll bring them in once I've finished describing your injuries to you" Dr. Abadi finishes, opening the chart at the foot of Jake's bed. "You suffered 4 cracked ribs, luckily none of them pierced a lung, you also broke your left leg in 3 places, that will take some time to properly heal, cuts and abrasions up your arms, you inhaled some ash but nothing too serious, but we can monitor that as you come back for tests". "Is that all now doc? Because I really need to see my friends" I say,  _And_   _Amy_ my brain reminds me. _"_ Of course, let me go and get them" Dr. Abadi says, slipping out the room. I let my head hit the pillow, resting, waiting for Amy to come back.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

_*Flashback end*_

 

Jake asked Amy to go round to his apartment to pick up a change of clothes for his release today. Amy was all too happy to oblige and used the spare key she had. Getting changed proved to be a challenge for Jake. He found his usual plaid shirts would rub against the abrasions, and jeans would get stuck on the cast, luckily for him, Amy came prepared with basketball shorts and a soft t-shirt. "Are you really sure you want to do this Amy?" Jake says to her "For the final time Jake, yes of course, I want to make it right and I want to help you, so let me, please?" Amy says, giving him a slight smile, knowing it would make him crack. "Okay Ames, lets go home". "I packed you an overnight bag when I went to your apartment, since it'll be better for you to stay at mine while you recover". "Amy you don't have to" "Jake, I want to, so please, let me" Amy pleads, looking up at him softly. Jake eventually relents "Okay Amy, take us away".

 

 

Limping out the hospital on crutches wasn't necessarily the difficult bit in this whole situation, the hardest part for him is not being able to take Amy's hand like she had when he was laying in that bed. As much as he tries to deny it to anyone that would listen, he has fallen for her hard, since admitting to Rosa after the Jimmy Jab Games that he still felt something, its grown into something more. He knows that putting up a front and telling Amy he would be a hassle is his coping mechanism, but really, deep down he's glad she pushed to care for him. He watches Amy as she hails a cab, and helps him clamber in, being careful not to hurt his ribs of brush against his cuts. Once settled in the cab she rests her hand on his knee and doesn't take it off for the whole ride. It feels him with a sense of warmth, he lets his hand rest on top of hers and she looks up at him and smiles.

"I don't think I've thanked you for wanting to take care of me" Jake starts, but Amy shushes him "I didn't need to think twice about it Jake, this is my fault" Amy says. Jake can't quite believe what he is hearing "No Amy it's not, this is on me because I didn't sweep the room clearly when going in"

"It should have been me going in there first".

Jake's breath gets caught in his throat "And let you take this hit and pain? I don't think so, this is on me Amy, so please stop blaming yourself" Jake said softly.

_This wonderful, stupid man_ Amy thought to herself, getting lost in his brown orbs piercing a gaze through her. Their moment is interrupted by the cabbie pulling up to Amy's apartment, grumbling something about the fare. Amy shoves the notes into his hand, more focused on helping Jake out of the cab and into her apartment building, meeting eyes with the doorman to try and get some help. With Jake back on crutches he can hobble himself inside and into the elevator, Amy carrying the overnight bag and holding onto his arm, helping to guide him through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say thank you for all the kind words left in the comments about this story, i' glad people are still invested! Now that i'm feeling more confident in my writing you can expect chapters to start getting longer and with much more detail.
> 
> Thank you so much again
> 
> T


	8. More than a Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy helps Jake back into the apartment, and may have a little surprise for him...

From what Amy could remember, the last time she had been at Jake’s apartment, it was a pig sty; takeout containers everywhere, clothes strewn on every surface, magazines haphazardly thrown across his coffee table. That was a couple of months ago while reviewing case notes for a murder they were working on. She remembers chastising him about it at the time, “No one can live like this Jake” Amy remembers saying, frustration evident in her voice. His response seemed like a preloaded reply to anyone who made that kind of comment, “Well, I can live in it Santiago” he would reply, his cheeky smile appearing on his face as he would turn back to his notes.

Entering the apartment now, she notes a neatly folded pile of clothes on the dining room table, magazines no longer covering the entire surface of the dark wood coffee table, instead neatly piled underneath the TV, and a general sense of tidiness throughout the rest of the apartment. His sneaker collection seems to have been organised correctly, by colour, not her preferred method if you asked her but she is mightily impressed given who organised it.

“Impressed?” Jake says from behind her, jolting her out of her daze. “Very, actually, much better than the last time I was here” Amy replies, noting the look of pride adorning Jake’s face after her comments. She’ll tuck that piece of information away for later.

“Well after what you said about my apartment, it actually did get me thinking about this place, and how I had really let it go, I know I can be a bit chaotic, and a bit of a slob, but looking at it made me realise how bad it got, so over the last couple of weeks I looked up ways to organise and get this place looking its best…. For the next time you came over….” Jake says, looking sheepish all of a sudden, ruffling the hairs on the back of his head. A small smile plasters its way onto Amy’s face as she tucks her hair behind her ears.

“Anyway, let’s get you seated, nice and comfy” Amy said, leading Jake to the couch, taking the crutches from him as he settles down into the cushions. “You really don’t have to do this Amy….” Jake starts, but the daggers Amy shoots him makes him think twice about his statement. “Sorry Amy, I really do appreciate the help” he says instead, flashing her a smile that melts her heart. “It’s really no problem Jake, now I bet you’re starving after all that, so how about some takeout and a very special movie” Amy says, a grin adorning her face when she sees Jake’s face light up at the mention of a special movie.

“You’re not suggesting…”

“Oh I am Peralta” Amy says, producing Die Hard from behind her.

The smile that adorned Jake’s face nearly split it in two. “My oh my Amy you really are the dream woman” Jake says without thinking. Amy’s breath gets caught in her throat and a blush creeps up her face at his words. She gains composure quickly to respond, “So, let me pop this in the DVD player and i’ll order the takeout, Chinese okay?”.

“Sounds perfect, Amy” Jake responds, giving her a little smile that once again lights her heart up.

*5 minutes later*

Amy steps back into the living room, watching Jake bounce up and down on the couch in anticipation of the movie no less. Amy carefully lowers herself next to him, shoulders brushing as she gets comfortable. She takes the remote and hits play. Amy reaches towards the coffee table to place the remote down, and as she leans back, feels Jake’s head come to rest on her shoulder, attention focused solely on the movie. “I could get used to this” she thinks to herself, relaxing and focusing on the movie, allowing herself to be Jake’s pillow for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, sorry for being gone for so long, work has been hectic, but I hope to have more chapters out once I finish work on the 14th, thanks for sticking around!
> 
> T


	9. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy stays the night...

The flicker of the TV light is what wakes Jake several hours later. Groaning lightly and leaning up slightly, he can decipher two things. One, the mid evening sun has morphed into the pale glow of moonlight. Two, his pillow smells distinctly of Amy, the intoxicating aroma of her vanilla perfume permeating his nostrils, subconsciously putting a small smile on his face. 

 

Jake notices that the Die Hard DVD menu is playing on a loop, so he tries to reach for the remote on the coffee table, silently hoping he doesn’t wake Amy from her much needed slumber. However, the remote is just too far and he feels a flash of pain course through his ribs. The scream that was released from Jake’s throat had Amy awake immediately, eyes darting directly to the source of the noise. 

 

“Oh my god Jake! What happened?! Are you okay” Amy says, worry and care lacing her words. 

“Ouch, no...... stupid mistake... reaching...remote” Jake stutters through, breathing through the pain. 

“Jake! You're supposed to be resting! What hurts? What do you need?” 

“Ribs, badly” Jake says, wincing at the miniscule movements. 

“Okay, stay right there, I'll be back in a second” Amy says frantically, carefully moving of the couch, careful not to hurt Jake, but badly missing his warmth. Moving quickly, she rips open the freezer door, searching, and quickly locating an icepack. She turns and finds a cloth to wrap it round. 

Walking past the counter, she grabs his pain meds and a glass of water, carefully balancing everything in her arms she walks back to where Jake has laid himself out on the couch, his face screwed up in pain. The look on his face breaks Amy’s heart, knowing that this was on her. She knocks that thought to the back of her head, focusing in the task at hand; make sure Jake is comfortable and looked after. 

 

“Okay Jake, I've got your pain meds and a glass of water, seeing as it is time for you to have another dose, and I've got an icepack for you” Amy says to him quietly, mindful of the time. She places the items on the coffee table and lowers herself to Jake’s head, gingerly helping him shift so he can easily take his medication. Jake lifts the pills into his mouth and Amy hands him the glass of water, taking a few sips before handing it back to her to place back on the table. Amy then takes the icepack and places it on Jake’s ribs, berating herself when she meets his eyes and finds them in pain from the touch, she goes to lift it off when Jake’s hand comes across and covers her own, sending shocks down her arms. 

 

“It’s okay Ames, you know....” Jake starts. Amy, not knowing what he meant, sends him a funny look, so he continues. “It’s okay that it happened, I know you’re beating yourself up about it, but know that it was not your fault”. 

 

“Jake don’t be silly! It’s not okay that it happened, you’ve gone through all this pain, and why, because of stupid old me that didn’t check the surroundings right?!” Amy almost yells, tears starting to form in her eyes. 

 

“Amy calm down! Seriously, it is not your fault, so please stop berating yourself, if you accidentally hurt me trying to help it’s fine, I understand that it’s part of the healing process, I've been through it before so I know what it’s like. I really appreciate that you want to help though, it really helps the process” Jake finishes, a smile adorning his once pain ridden face. Amy cannot help but smile back, knowing how infectious his smile is. 

 

“Thanks Jake, that really does mean a lot, and I'm sorry, I've just been so worried about you over these last few days and it’s just really caught up with me”. 

 

“There’s no need to be sorry, Ames, I'm just thankful I'm alive and that you care so much”. 

 

“I’m here for you Jake, always, just remember that”. Amy finishes the exchange, suddenly both of their heads seeming closer. 

Going off instinct, she makes a split-second decision in the heat of the moment. She leans in and places a small kiss on his forehead. 

 

Pulling back slowly, eyes closed, she braces herself for his reaction, knowing how big of a step this is for herself. When her eyelids finally flutter open, her heart bursts with joy seeing the goofy smile of her partner, her best friend, the man she has fallen head over heels for. 

 

She smiles just as wide back and softly asks “Do you think you can make it to your bed?” 

 

His reply was almost instant “Only if you’re helping me”. 

 

Amy reaches for his crutches and carefully helps him off the couch, handing him his crutches and looping her arm around his, guiding him towards his bedroom. It doesn’t hit her until they’re right outside his door where she has the sudden thought of ‘Oh shit I'm about to see the inside of Jake Peralta’s bedroom’. She has no time to overthink as she carefully opens the door and allows him to hobble in before her. 

 

“Uhh, Ames... can I ask you something?” Jake starts, almost unsure of himself. 

 

“What is it?” Amy replies, anxious to find out what he has to say 

 

“Do you think.... you could stay in here... with me tonight?” He asks nervously, and all of Amy’s nerves about the question flush away. 

 

“Of course Jake, let me grab my bag and get changed, do you need any help?” Amy asks, part of her to genuinely help, and a deeper part of her wanting to get him naked. She squashes the dark thought down. 

 

“I should be okay, you go grab your bag” Jake replies with a smile. Amy reciprocates and slowly moves out the room. 

 

Jake breathes out heavily, amazed at himself for being so forward with his question, but exhilarated all the same. He cannot believe he’s going to be sharing a bed with his long term crush, Amy Santiago. Granted, he wished it was in better circumstances, but he’ll take it. He grabs his sleepwear from his drawer and sits carefully on the bed, wincing silently at his stupid cracked ribs. Taking longer to get changed than usual, as he’s pulling his shirt over his head, he hears the familiar creak of his bedroom door, signaling Amy’s return. He raises his head and his breath gets caught in his throat at the sight of her. 

Casually dressed in sleep shorts and a Knicks T-shirt, she looked like the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

 

“Hey” is all he can breathe out as she rounds to the other side of the bed. 

“Ready for bed?” She asks, pulling back the covers for him like they’ve done this thousands of times before. 

“Absolutely” he replies, carefully shifting to the backboard as Amy slips in beside him, covering them both with his duvet and starting to settle down. 

 

It should unnerve her, the way that this feels so natural. Normally when she sleeps in a bed with someone for the first time, they awkwardly lay next to each other, not really knowing what to do or where to put your arms. But with Jake, they settle next to each other naturally. Amy subtly shuffles a little closer to Jake, wanting to keep as close as he would allow her. He notices this, shifts his eyes and silently asks with his eyes ‘Do you want to come closer?’. 

She responds by carefully shuffling up to him and slowly draping an arm over him, laying face to face with each other. 

 

“Goodnight Ames” Jake whispers as her eyelids start to fall. 

 

“Night Jake” Amy just about responds, ready to fall into a deep slumber, when she suddenly feels the feather touch of lips against her own forehead.

**Author's Note:**

> First entry on the fandom, and a long time watcher of the show, just giving it a trial run, hope you enjoy!


End file.
